Coparenting across the deployment cycle: Observations from military families with young children

DeVoe, E., Ross, A., Spencer, R., Drew, A., Acker, M., Paris, R., & Jacoby, V. (2020). Coparenting across the deployment cycle: Observations from military families with young children. Journal of Family Issues, 41(9), 1447-1469. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19894366

Coparenting is a dynamic process that involves coordination among the adults who are responsible for the care, upbringing, and socialization of their children, which continues even during times of family separation (e.g., deployment). This qualitative study was rooted in social ecological theory and sought to understand the coparenting experiences of service members and their home front partners across the deployment cycle (i.e., predeployment, deployment, and reintegration). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 Service members (mostly National Guard and Reserve) and 31 home front parents who had at least one child who was five years old or younger during a war-related deployment. Findings suggest that home front parents play a significant role in managing parenting tasks during deployment and in facilitating a positive relationship between the deployed parent and child(ren).

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